TY Calls On Buhari To Reverse Education Fees In Higher Institutions

The President of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU),” Students' Union”, Ile-Ife, Mr Omotoyo Akande, has called on the President-Elect, Gen. Mohamadu Buhari (Rtd) to reverse school fees in tertiary institutions and ensure proper funding of education.

Akande made the call on Wednesday when he paid a visit to the Osogbo office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to establish a relationship as he was set to take the leadership mantle of Students' Union of OAU.

“These new executive has the mission to establish a good relationship with the media, not to gain popularity but to publicize our position on national issues and issues affecting the students in the institution,’’ Akande said.

He said the in-coming federal administration should embark on policies that would change the old policies on education from 1999 to date, saying “this is a litmus test for the new administration’’.

According to him, the university authorities have consistently been increasing school fees, thereby making life unbearable for students and parents.

The student president said funding of education should be given priority over other sectors, describing it as the bedrock of development of the country.

He called on the president-elect to address immediately the issue of graduate unemployment in the country and make use of abundant human and natural resources wasting away in the country for its economic growth.

“Students voted the president-elect not because of his stature but because of his principle and credibility in the past, as a former Head of State.

“We believe his coming in at this time will be a panacea to scores of socio-economic problems bedeveiling the country under the rulership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the past 16 years of democracy,” he said.

In his remark, the State Correspondent of NAN, Mr Tola Okinbaloye, commended the students for seeing the agency as a friend that could assist in disseminating information about them and the education sector.

Okinbaloye, who advised the Students' Union to ensure impartation of morals into students, also advised them to sustain a position of non-cultism in OAU.

He urged them to focus in pursuing their education, vision and mission as student leaders.

He assured the students of the agency’s support in the areas of publicity.